With No Apologies
by KageArai
Summary: Ed and Al with a burden to bear that no adult should know, and they FEEL it.As a shinobi I have to be disconnected from my feelings.I know that.Then why do they make me feel like I am missing something that everyone else here seems to have? FMAxNaruto
1. Six Months in Amestris pt1

**PART I**

Six months. Where _did_ the time go?

Slowly I read the document in front of me trying to put the words together so I could have some semblance of an idea of what I was reading. Why did there have to be so many big words?

"Do you understand?" That was Lieutenant Colonel Mustang. He was probably a bit peeved at me. I'd been standing there for the last five minutes staring at the same sheet.

I nodded and handed the document back. I didn't really understand but I'd probably find out sooner or later. I just hoped this wasn't one of those things that came back to bite me in the butt.

"Good. They should be here on the next train if Fullmetal didn't decide to take a detour." He tossed the paper into the 'out' box on his desk.

Ah, so Fullmetal was a person. I'd thought it was just a typo. "When will the train come?"

He shrugged. I sighed. In all honesty I think Mustang's a pretty good guy. I mean, I have to; he's helped me out a lot since I got here (him and Major Hughes). It's just that sometimes I have absolutely no idea of what to make of him… actually that's probably for the best.

"So, do you want me at train?"

He got his evil look. "No, I'd rather give them a surprise."

A knock sounded at the door to the shared office and Riza Hawkeye stepped in. I didn't have to look back to tell. Mustang was trying to look busy, it was a dead give-away.

"Sir, we have confirmation the Elrics will arrive on the next train."

"Well," Mustang raised a brow ever-so-slightly, "What do you know? Miracles do happen."

---

"What the hell do you mean you're assigning us a partner?!" Edward Elric: child prodigy, loud, short tempered, and vertically challenged. Guess that brain of his weighed him down.

"Brother, please, calm down." Alphonse Elric: the only thing keeping Edward from wringing Mustang's neck.

"You heard me. It's exactly what it sounds like." Mustang's gaze landed on me. "You've been searching for over two years now with no progress. You need a partner."

"No we don't damnit and how the hell could you go and tell someone about what we're searching for?! I thought we had a deal!"

He reminded me of another short, loud, blonde headed kid I once knew.

"That wasn't part of the deal. I never said _why_ you were out for the stone only that you were."

They needed to speak slower.

"That's-"

"Brother," Alphonse cut him off, "He is right."

"Hey, whose side are on you on?" Edward turned on his brother.

"I'm just saying that Lieutenant Colonel Mustang is right. He didn't-"

"You're not actually agreeing with him that we need a partner are you?"

Mustang stood up at his desk, obviously his patience was running short. "You don't have a choice whether you like the decision or not. I am your commanding officer!"

"I don't give a damn! We don't need a partner!"

I rolled my eyes. "Thank you for the welcoming." I hoped that my sarcasm came through on that. Communicating sarcasm in another language was _hard. _All eyes turned to me since it was the first time I'd spoken. "My name is Abura Aya."

"I don't care what it is."

"Brother! You're being rude."

"Yeah, and why should I care!?"

"Brother!"

"What?!"

This was a nice little show of course for the rest of the officers sharing the room.

"Edward Elric, if I hear one more complaint about this I'm stripping you of your title as State Alchemist. Understand?"

"You can't-"

"Understand?" Mustang asked again.

The debate was over. With a nod the alchemist left the room his brother in tow. It didn't take a genius to figure out he was pissed; the sound of his teeth grating was enough of a clue.

---

Finding the Elrics was pretty easy considering that the only chance they thought they had of finding the Philosopher's Stone was at the Central Library. I wasn't a State Alchemist but that didn't matter. There was more than one way to enter a building.

Lowering myself to the floor quietly I shut the window I often used to enter through. It led me into an obscure section on alchemy. Rarely anyone came in here. Probably because all the books were so full of bull even I could tell.

Making my way past the shelves and aisles upon aisles of books on alchemy and kami-knows-what I found my new and not-so-permanent team surrounded by countless books pulled off the shelves. Edward reading a rather thick volume and Alphonse debating between two different ones- I decided to give him a hand.

"That one is no good." I pointed to the one written by J.D. Arham.

He looked up at me. "Ah, oh thank you. Have you read it already?"

I nodded. "I have been visiting here for a while. That is how I found out about the Fillopifer's Stone."

"Do you mean Philosopher's Stone?"

"Fill-aww-so-pher-zzzz?" I probably looked retarded trying to pronounce it.

Alphonse chuckled a bit. "More or less."

I grinned and took a seat on the floor as well. "Awesome." Then I looked to Edward who was giving me a strange look.

"Brother, she looks familiar." Al spoke.

"Yeah, I was just thinking that."

I quirked a brow at him. "I thought you hated me."

"I don't hate you I just don't want to have anything to do with you."

"Brother-"

"Don't worry about it. It is one of the nice thing I have heard." I picked up a random book from the floor and opened it. "I do not remember you but if you met me it was in the past six months."

"Why's that?"

I had the book upside down. "Because I came then."

"You're that girl," Edward looked over at Alphonse, "Remember her Al? She came out of nowhere and almost knocked your head off."

"Ah, yeah you're right." He looked down at me.

That caught my interest. "What happened?"

Edward gave me another strange look again, like he wondered why I could possibly be asking such a question. "We took you to the infirmary here."

I couldn't help but feel peeved. Was my Amestrian that bad that they couldn't understand what I was asking? "No, how, err… what- oh, never mind."

I ignored the looks they gave each other.

"What did you say your name was again?" Edward asked.

"Abura Aya."

"That's a different name."

"Aya means colourful and Abura means oil."

"Colourful oil?"

I sighed. "Well when you say it like that it sounds funny."

"Have you found anything on the Philosophers Stone while you've been here?"

I looked up at Alphonse. If he made _me _feel short when we were sitting how did Edward feel when they were standing?

I shook my head. "Nothing helpful- have you found anything?"

"We've read most of the books in here for over two years but we haven't found anything that doesn't lead to a dead end."

Over two years? They'd been searching for that long, even when Mustang had said it I hadn't wanted to believe it. If it's been over two years for them how long would it take for me? How long would it take to get what I wanted? Besides that there was no guarantee that this thing would even work.

"Abura?"

I shook my head. No, what kind of shinobi would I be if I gave up? I had a promise to keep and I was going to keep it if it killed me. "Yosh! Let's do this! I will never give up!"

I ignored the strange looks.

---

"Uhn." Okay, so maybe this wasn't as easy as it seemed but at least I wasn't alone in it. Two weeks and reading had become my newest hobby. I don't understand how those two can just sit there and read one book after another. More than half of this stuff was useless. What we needed was name or a place or even instructions on how to make one ourselves. I mean, it can't be that hard can it?

I tossed aside the book I'd been reading. It didn't matter if I wasn't done it because there was absolutely no way I was going to sit here any longer.

"Alright, we aren't having any luck," My Amestrian had improved a bit though thanks to the reading and conversing, "I say we uhh ask around?"

"Who do you plan on asking if we don't even know where to begin?" Ed didn't even miss a beat.

"Brothers right. We don't have a start."

I stood up and worked the feeling back into my legs. "Sitting here won't give us a start. We need to go out and look."

"Yeah, why don't you go and look and we'll stay here?"

"No," Both of them looked up at me then, "We are a team and teams work together. Sitting and reading books all day will not get us any closer. Books are deaf but people aren't and they hear things-"

"Following gossip only leads to dead ends."

"Gossip is all we have. Books won't help us, their dead."

"Books are the greatest tools we alchemists have!"

I glared at Ed, "I'm not an alchemist!"

"If you're not an alchemist then why the hell are you looking for the stone if you can't even use it?!"

"I'll learn alchemy!"

"Alchemy isn't that is easy. You can't just say you'll do it. You have to understand it and have the skill for it-"

"Abura," Al cut his brother off, "Have you ever tried to transmute something?"

That was a difficult question. Sure, I'd "transmuted" things but not with alchemy. Hell, I hadn't even known alchemy existed until I came here. I shrugged, "More or less."

"Yeah, like what?" Not only was Ed a curious guy he was also one of those who tended not to believe things unless he saw it.

"Like," Great, yeah, I'd obviously tried alchemy but it wasn't that easy to do. I'm used to drawing energy from myself not from nowhere; so trying to not use my chakra while trying to do something that I would probably normally use my chakra for was difficult. It was like trying to kill a bad habit except I couldn't exactly quit the habit going cold turkey. I _needed_ chakra. "Alright, fine. I haven't _exactly_ transmuted anything with alchemy but I did try."

"What happened when you tried?"

I looked down at Al. "I passed out."

Surprising me; Ed was taking this seriously. "What happened?"

Like I was going to tell them it was because I'd cut off my chakra for too long. I shrugged. "I woke up."

"That's not what I mean. How could you have passed out?"

"Too much reading."

He gave me his pissed off look.

Al just chuckled. "You really don't enjoy reading do you?"

"My brain hurts trying to read and translate and understand. I have headache before I even wake up knowing what I do every day."

"Translate?"

"Yosh! Enough sitting around already. We leave and find this Fill-aw-so-fers stone…ne?"

The brothers looked at each other and through the means of silent communication came to a decision.

---

I stuck my head out the window and took it all in. I'd finally convinced the two brothers to get out of Central. Sure, that was three days ago but as long as I was out I was happy. Though, I didn't really trust this thing I was on. The closest thing I'd ever ridden was a horse and that was only for about a minute and at least _that_ was alive. This thing was made of metal and ran on coal for Kami-sama's sake. That didn't make any sense. They called it a train. It wasn't the first one I'd seen since I'd shown up here but it was my first time riding in one.

Still, it was a nice change of scenery from central. The colours out here seemed more vivid, welcoming compared to the city and out here I might be able to get more training in. I hadn't stopped training when I was in Central, sometimes I'd skip sleeping but it was difficult to train using jutsus and not attract unwanted attention… It was sort of strange that they called this weird contraption a train too…

"Get back in here before you get your face ripped off and I get blamed for it!"

Obviously Ed cared for me deeply.

"Where are we going?"

"To Emmeltown, just past West city."

I raised a brow. "What's there?"

"How should I know? You're the one who wanted to get out and leave."

"I didn't mean just to leave anywhere."

"There's an alchemist there by the name of Wilheil Eiselstein. We've wanted to visit him for a while now but he's been hard to get a hold of."

I looked at Al. "For your own reason or to ask about the stone?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I looked over at Ed now. "I read about him too. He sounds interesting."

"Yeah, what'd you read?" He never really did believe me, ever.

"He was an original alchemist. He did work on humans to heal with alchemy… he failed at it too and went into hiding and took his research with him. You want to see if his work can help fix you."

"You make it sound like we're broken, Abura."

"Well, why else would you want to visit a failed healing alchemist if you weren't…broken?"

Great, and now Al was laughing at me. "You're really funny Abura."

Well, I guess that would be considered a compliment. I grinned. "I have a question. If this man can heal that is like…like connecting things right?"

"Connecting things?"

"Yes, like when I cut myself it heals naturally but if alchemy or something else is used then it's not natural and the skin connects or the- or the- " I ran a hand through my hair trying to figure out the word, "Like a…like a heart? or a lung or the muscles? They connect right?"

Ed raised a brow. "You're going to have to explain this better."

I sighed. "Kusso, kami tasukete."

"I think she means the tissues connect."

"Hai! That's it! The tissues! So its human alchemy right because its transmuting… well humans, right?"

"You couldn't have just said that from the beginning?"

"Baka. Damare." I was getting closed to my point. "Does that not mean, because it is alchemy, and the equivalent exchange thing that people had to be sacrificed?" That caught their attention. "The tissue had to come from somewhere right but," Now this is where talking to Sakura-chan came in handy, "Bodies…reject other foreign…pieces so this man had to get the right pieces to make everything fit, ne?"

"It's different with medical alchemy. I heard that Drachma uses alchemy but only under the strict laws of healing purposes." Al informed me.

"If people are willing it's different but why would someone go into hiding if people were willing to be used as tests?" I was always getting strange looks from the two of them. "Human alchemy is forbidden, ne? But it is in a book in Central where people from government go and read."

"What are you saying, that book was planted for us to read?"

I leaned back on the hard seat and crossed my legs, resting my head against my arms behind me. "I'm not sure. It just feels funny. "

"Aya, I have a question for you."

"Hmm?" I wiped off some dirt from my blue sandals. I had decided to keep the outfit I'd come here in. Loose dark green Capri's and a white tank top with two white sleeves added and held on with thin dark green ribbon. That and of course my kunai, shinobi kit, and most important: my forehead protector; currently tied around my head much like Sakura's, only off to the side a bit. I'd kept my short white unruly hair tied back and what couldn't be tied fell around my face in another mess. This is of course attributed to my dad who has the exact same hair as me. The forehead protector helped keep it in place besides doing the obvious: stating I was a shinobi of Konohagakure.

"Why are you looking for the Philosopher's Stone?"

"Why are you?"

"I asked you first."

I sighed and gave Ed my fine-be-that-way-but-you-better-tell-me-your-reason-too look. Then I changed my gaze over to Al who I had chosen to sit beside even with the lack of space. This way I got to look out the window too.

"Well, what is it?"

"You're such a patient soul Edo-kun. I don't know how you manage to sit on a train for so long." I grinned triumphantly on the inside. That had sounded perfect and I knew my sarcasm came out too.

"Don't change the subject and don't call me Edo-kun, that's not my name."

I chose to ignore the last part. "I'm not changing subject. I'm looking for the stone because…"

_"Naruto, what are you doing?" I sat on the desk at the front of the room and watched as Naruto decided to stick a board eraser in-between the door. Team Seven, the last ones left in the classroom. Apparently our sensei didn't own a watch. _

_"That's what he gets for coming late, Aya-chan!" I couldn't help but stare at the trap. Too bad the door didn't swing inward. If it did we could stick a bucket of water there instead. Where we'd get the bucket and water from was another question._

_ "Our teacher is a Jounin, an elite ninja; you think he'll fall for that?"_

_"I'd sure laugh if he did." I grinned at Sasuke-kun and received a 'hmph' in reply._

_And that's when we saw the first sign of our sensei- with an eraser mark on his head. _

_Naturally, Naruto had to laugh. I did too, on the inside. Sasuke-kun never really had much facial expression but judging from the comment from before it was probably utter disbelief._

_"Hmm, how can I put this," Our sensei closed his eyes and a thoughtful expression passed over his face, "My first impression of this group- you're a bunch of idiots." _

_Greeeaat, this was the beginning to a beautiful team relationship._

…………

_"Alright, why don't you introduce yourselves, one at a time?" _

_I laid back on the stone steps we were sitting on as our sensei took his at the metal guard rail. We were on the roof of one of the buildings surrounding our academy and our apparent sensei seemed to want double check if we really were all idiots._

_ "…I am Hatake Kakashi. Things I like and things I hate: I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future: Never really thought about it. As for my hobbies, I have lots of hobbies."_

_I snorted. Yep, snorted. Was this guy for real? "That was totally useless."_

_I got an agreement from Naruto and probably more or less of one from Sasuke._

_"Okay, your turn. You on the right, you're first."_

_"Believe it. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I like instant ramen in a cup and I really like the ramen Iruka-sensei got me at the Ichiraku noodle shop but I hate the three minutes you have to wait after you pour the water in the ramen cup. My hobbies is eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them and my future dream is," Here it comes, "To be the greatest Hokage! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody important."_

_Mentally, I was cheering him on whole-heartedly._

_"Alright, next."_

_Nobody said anything._

_"Next."_

_I glanced at Sasuke-kun. "You or me?" He didn't reply. "Why, thank you Sasuke-kun, I never knew you could be so kind. I will go first then if you insist." That rewarded me with a snicker from Naruto and an infamous Uchiha death glare. "My name's Abura Aya. I like sleeping in that one spot of sunlight that comes in through an open window, especially when there's a soft breeze. I hate trying to find my dad because he has a tendency to disappear for long periods of time and whenever I try to look for him I get a headache," Not to mention he's usually doing something perverted, "My hobbies include doing whatever I feel like doing at any given moment and I have no future dream yet."_

_Kakashi-sensei nodded. Probably just glad I wasn't drooling over Sasuke-kun._

_"Last one."_

_"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I hate a lot of things and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and destroy a certain… someone."_

_It didn't take a genius to figure out this guy had a lot of pent up rage. Maybe that's why all the girls drooled over him…I mean he is good looking…and angry._

_"Good," Kakashi-sensei continued, "You're each unique and you have your own ideas, more or less. We'll have our first mission tomorrow."_

_"Uuop. What kind of mission are we going to have?"_

_I gave Naruto a strange look. What kind of noise was uuop? _

_"It's a task that the four of us will do together."_

_"What? What? What? What?"_

_"Yeah, what he said." I pointed to Naruto._

_Ooh, the suspense. "A survival exercise."_

_"Huh, survival exercise?"_

_"What are we surviving and didn't we do this before?" I asked._

_"…This is not like your previous training."_

_"So uhh, so uhh, what kind of training is it then?"_

_UH-OH. Our sensei was laughing. That cannot be a good sign._

_"Of the twenty-seven graduates who just came here only nine will actually be accepted as Genin. The other eighteen will be weeded out and sent back to the academy. In other words this is a make it or break it, pass/fail test and the chance that you'll fail is at _least_ sixty-six percent."_

_I knew it wasn't a good sign._

_"See, didn't I tell you you wouldn't like it?"_

_"That's crazy we worked hard to get here! Believe it! What was that graduation test for anyways?"_

_"Oh that, that was just to select the candidates who_ might_ become Genin or not."_

_"Whaat?"_

_"That's how it is. I decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the designate training spot at 5 am and bring your ninja gear."_

_Naruto was getting pissed._

_"Hey, Naruto, Sasuke-kun." I gave them a small peace sign. "Don't worry about it. That still means there's a thirty four percent chance of us passing which is only sixteen percent away from fifty. We're smart and determined, we'll make it." _

_I missed the look our sensei shot me before he began to walk away. "That's it. You're dismissed."_

Looking back on our beginning I couldn't help but feel as if my very life had been ripped away from me. It wasn't fair. Why did our team have to suffer so much? Why did Sasuke have to get the Curse Mark from that bastard Orochimaru? If he hadn't then he wouldn't have left, even if he was an avenger, he would have found another way to gain power or maybe he would have asked for our help. And how was Naruto doing now? I hated to think about it. He probably thought I was dead. His whole team gone. All of us separated. But, even so, I couldn't help but laugh at the fate of the ninja who did this to me. I know he paid with his very life.

"Abura? Abura, are you alright?"

I felt Al place his hand on my shoulder and I took that as my cue to return to the real world. Nodding, I plastered a smile on my face. "Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

I really was going to have to begin opening up more if I wanted to fit in with these two. Keeping everything to myself wasn't going to get them to trust me. Still, I wouldn't become an open book and spill my guts and tell the details. There was a line between trust and complete idiocy. "I was thinking about home, about the people there. My friends, comrades, and family." I looked over at Ed. He had a look on his face I was more than familiar with. "I never had one," That's when he looked up at me with surprise, "For a long time I never had a place to call home. I was always moving. Everywhere. I never stayed in one place for long. I understood why but," Bringing my feet up onto the seat I hugged them with my arms and concentrated on the empty space between Ed and the window, "It hurt and I hate it. Finally, I found a place where I could stay. I miss it. It wasn't long enough. Only four years." I stayed quiet for a while. I couldn't believe that in such a short time I could miss Konoha so much.

There was silence for quite a while as I stared out the window, watching the sun beginning to set on the horizon, changing the colours in the sky and also the landscape. Shadows began to lengthen, trees caught in the direct rays looked as if they were on fire, and lights turned on in the rural houses

"Then why are you here?"

I shrugged at Ed's question. The train began to slow down but neither of them made a move to get up. If it was ours I had all my stuff already packed in my black backpack and sitting above me on the metal rack beside the Elrics suitcase. "Is this our stop?"

"Yeah, we have a transfer but it doesn't come until early tomorrow morning." Thankfully, Ed dropped the subject.

Gathering our stuff together we hopped off the train with a few other passengers. Otherwise the place was practically deserted. I was just happy to be on solid ground.

"Doesn't look like there's any place we can stay at."

"Aw, sorry princess," I couldn't help but tease Ed, "You'll just have to rough it."

"Don't call me princess."

I gave a small chuckle before my stomach growled. "Eh, I need to eat."

"Aw, sorry princess. We haven't got any food."

Ed's stomach growled too.

"Heh, baka."

"What'd you call me!?"

"You don't even know what I say yet you yell. You're funny shorty."

"DON'T CALL ME SHORT!"

"Brother, please. People are looking at us."

I took advantage of that attention and stepped on the bench nearest to us. Raising my hand in the air I yelled out. "Excuse me passengers! We are in need of food of any kind! We pay! Our train does not come until morning and the idiots I am with ate it on the way here! Please help!" It was quiet for a moment before someone from the train stuck their head out the window.

"Over here! I got a couple sandwiches I can spare if you'd like."

Grinning in triumph I ran over and pulled out my wallet. "Thank you, sir. We appreciate it very much."

"Ah, it's no problem. Just be sure not to let your friends over there to eat 'em all." I nodded and tried to hand him some money. He refused it and thanking him I bowed before someone tapped me on the shoulder.

An elderly woman with half-moon spectacles was standing behind me. "With those sandwiches you'll need something to drink. My nephew came earlier than expected so we won't be needing these anymore." She pulled a few juice boxes out of her purse. "I hate to ask this but we will be needing some money-"

"It's alright. I don't need to know. How much?"

"Oh, well thank you. Just a few crowns."

I pulled out a five hundred. I wasn't rich. "Is this enough?"

She looked at me surprised. "Well, yes, thank you but are you sure this much is alright?"

I nodded. "As long as we can keep the juice."

She nodded. "Of course. Here you go."

I took the drinks and offered a small bow, "Thank you."

She nodded and walked away. The platform was now devoid of any life except myself and my two companions. The train slowly pulled away again and I waved goodbye to the man who had given me the sandwiches.

Turning back and making my way over to the bench I held out our late night dinner. "It's all I got. It is enough, right?"

"Uh, yeah." Ed took one sandwich and a juice box. "You didn't have to do that you know."

I raised a brow. "Yeah, but why wouldn't I?" I held the other sandwich at my side as Ed took his first bite. "Any good?" He finished it in three more bites. "I will take that as a yes." He then drained the juice box.

"You can eat Abura, I'm not hungry."

I gave Al a strange look. "'Course your not. I never seen you eat…why?"

"Ah, well," He pulled off his helmet.

I came closer and peered inside. He was empty. Stepping back I unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite as he put his head back on. I'm not sure what sort of reaction I was supposed to have. I'd seen stranger. Actually, I saw something similar to this once before. Naruto had gone crazy and screamed about it being a ghost when it was really some girl trying to avenge her brother's death or something like that.

Placing one hand on my hip I managed to say the only thing that came to mind. "I was right. So, how'd you manage that one?"

"You were right?" Al asked.

"You knew?" Ed followed.

I gave them my peeved look. "You think I'm an idiot don't you? I know what sound hollow gives- I worded that wrong- I know what hollow sounds like."

"If you knew why didn't you say anything?"

"Does it matter?"

"You're not scared?" Al asked in surprise.

"Eh, no." I scratched my head. "Should I be?" I took another bite of my sandwich.

"Well…I don't know. It's not-"

"You tried to transmute something, didn't you?"

"It's nothing." Ed spoke up, the pain evident in his voice. "Stay out of it."

"This is why you are looking for the stone?"

"I said stay out it!" Ed was now off the bench and trying to glare me down.

"No! You cannot hide everything from me! I am here!"

"It's none of your business!"

"So de gozaru ka?" I glared back.

"Stop speaking in that freak language! We can't understand you!"

"Why should you care!? You don't have to understand me you- you-" I threw my sandwich in his face to emphasize my anger before grabbing my bag and leaving the platform.

---

"Abura," She kept walking away as Al called after her. He then turned on his brother. "Why'd you say that brother! Now she's gone!"

He peeled the half eaten sandwich off of his face and gave his brother the same seething look. "Why are you standing up for her!? It's none of her business what happened! She never even told us why she was looking for the stone!"

"No she didn't. You're right brother. But she did tell us at least something about herself _and_ she's been trying to work together with us. Which is more than I can say for you brother." Ed growled something incoherent. "You should go apologize."

"Apologize?!"

"You know it's the right thing to do."

Again Ed growled some incoherent jumble before giving in. "Fine. Let's go."  
Heading in the direction that Abura had taken the Elric brothers left the station platform. The sun had set fully and the roads were dark. There were no electricity or gas lamps out here. The area was too rural for any of that. Still there were a few people out and about and the Elrics used that to their advantage to figure out which way Abura had gone.

"She's about this tall," Al lowered his hand to a foot over his brothers head, "With really white hair and green pants and carrying a black bag."

"Uhh, nope, sorry I haven't seen anyone like that. Maybe my buddies have." The boy turned around and called his friends over. "Hey, any of you guys seen a girl with white hair 'round here?"

"Nope."

"Sorry."

"White hair? Weird. Woulda noticed that."

Both the brothers sighed in unison. What'd she do, disappear off the face of the planet? This was the only road leading the way she'd gone, of course that wasn't to say she wouldn't leave the road to do whatever.

"Hey, wait a sec." The original boy stopped and scratched his chin. "I think I did see someone with that description but they were running too fast for me to tell exactly."

"Really?!"

"Where!?"

He pointed off to the east where a brush of trees was standing. "They were going that way. I tell yeah, if that really was your friend she sure can run. You might wanna hurry up of you'll never catch her at the rate she was going."

The two brothers were halfway across the field already. Ed complaining the whole way as to why someone would go out so far in the first place.

---

Training is an important part of shinobi life. It's a given. If a shinobi didn't train they might as well lie down and play dead. It didn't matter to me that I wasn't in my world. I still had to train. That and this was a good way to get out all my frustration and anger without hurting anyone…namely Ed.

I badly wanted to create a new jutsu. Something similar to Naruto's Kage Bunshin no Jutsu so that I'd have some way of sparring against something other than air. That and who better to train against then yourself? Well, a stronger opponent but I didn't have one of those at my disposal. At the moment I was just using one tone weights on each my arms and legs but it was getting too easy. I'd made this training exercise with Lee-kun over nine months ago and the weights felt like nothing now; I even kept them on during the day.

But, besides the point of creating a new jutsu I wanted to hone my other jutsu's into perfection. I'd picked up a couple my dads and had them down to a fine art (much to his dismay) but I had a couple of my own that could use some work or tweaking. I just couldn't risk it because there wasn't that much wood around here and someone could come along and see me perform something that was obviously not alchemy.

Speaking of which...

I stopped my taijutsu practice and took out one of my kunai, carving out a simple transmutation circle in the ground. Then taking out some materials from my bag I placed them in the middle.

Kneeling before the transmutation circle I closed my eyes and concentrated as controlling my chakra here was necessary. I needed to lower it to non-existent levels. I wasn't sure what would happen if I came in contact with the array if I didn't but I also wasn't willing to find out. From what I understood, a transmutation circle took energy from the world around it and circulated it within the drawn lines. If I kept my chakra circulating in me then I supposed that would mean the transmutation would take my energy as well and that wouldn't help me in any way.

Taking that into account I placed my fingertips on the edge of the transmutation circle. It began to glow an eerie yellow and the fabric began to take shape. I kept pushing forward although my body and mind were beginning to shut down. If I could at least get a basic shape I could bring it with me and then maybe I could-

"Kusso!" I pulled back and landed on my butt, breathing heavily as chakra was restored to my system. There was no point in fainting again. I couldn't let myself get carried away. Sometimes I really hated being so level-headed. I waited a couple more moments before I repeated the process.

This time I was able to finish my creation. A brown teddy bear the size of my hand with two small button eyes and a black stitch nose. One ear was bigger than the other but other than that it weighed out well. Yosh, now I could really being my training.

"Abura! Hey, where the hell are you!?"

"Brother!"

"What!? Ouch! Damnit, I can't see a damn thing out here!"

After much crashing and swearing from Ed they made their way over to where I was standing and waiting for them. My teddy bear held out in front of me in triumph.

"I did it. I transmuted a bear."

Of course Ed had to inspect it first while Al congratulated me.

"One ear is bigger than the other and it doesn't have a mouth…"

My eye twitched. I'd really like to see this guy attempt half of what-

"Otherwise it's pretty decent for a beginner."

"Huh?" I took it back from Ed's outstretched hand.

"You heard me. Besides the few minor problems it's pretty good."

I grinned. "Thank you."

"At least you didn't pass out this time."

"You just love to piss me off, don't you?"

"That's just because it's so easy."

"Brother." I heard Al sigh in exasperation before turning his attention to me. "But Abura what are you doing all the way out here?"

I looked down at my arms, where the weights were covered by my sleeves. I brought my free arm up and flexed it beside me. "Exercising."

"Doesn't look like you have much there."

I smirked. "Looks are deceiving."

"Really, care to spar then."

"No, I'd be too afraid of hurting you."

"WHAT!?"

Al ignored our bickering. "Abura, brother came here to tell you something."

Ed shot Al a dirty look before staring at the ground. "I'm sorry for yelling at you andwetriedtotransmuteourmotherandAllosthisbodyandIlostmylegandIusedmyarmtobringAl'ssoulbackandattachittothesuitofarmour."

Surprising myself I actually caught all that. "You're really skilled if you can do that." Anything those lines in my world would be known as a kinjutsu, a forbidden art, one that you could lose your life over. For Ed to be able to accomplish that a couple of years ago is a feat in itself. Of course, kinjutsu's were also considered something that only rogue shinobi had a desire for.

I was just glad Orochimaru hadn't got whim of this somehow. He'd be thrilled at the prospect of being immortal like Al…well more so than he was now.

The bastard.

"Abura?"

I had drifted off again. "My family name is Abura. My name is Aya."

Sometimes I doubted they knew what to make of me.

"Uh, well," Ed was looking uncomfortable.

"Yosh." I pulled my forehead protector off of its place and retied it around my forehead. Then doing the pose that I'd seen Lee-kun, Gai-sensei, and Naruto do themselves and that I'd done once I stuck my thumb out. "On my word as a shinobi from Konohagakure I will help you get back your bodies no matter what."

Ed raised a brow in confusion and Al tilted his head to the side also in apparent confusion. "Uh, well, I don't know what a shinobo is or a Kono-what'cha call it but I guess it's a good thing."

I nodded. "I'd translate but I don't know what shinobi is in Amestrian but Konohagakure would be…ah, well konoha literally mean leaves of tree but I think a so-so translation would be something like…The Hidden Village of Leaves." I lowered my arm and picked up my bag. "Something like that."

"I don't think I'll ever understand you." Ed was still looking at me strange.

I shrugged in reply and we made our way back to the train station.


	2. Six Months in Amestris pt 2

Okay, just a note I forgot to mention last time. I made the characters from Naruto a year older that they are in the manga/anime. Why? Mainly because I felt like it and thought it would suit the character(s) to finally age- that and when I consider Aya has been in Amestris for six months it's natural she would age.

Ed is 14 right now so clearly Al is 13.

Thanks to **Blackroseofdeath49** for adding my story to their favourite list 

Review people!! I want to know what you think and if you have any suggestions on improving. That means CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

"So this is Emmeltown, eh?"

Al and I stood behind Ed and surveyed the really small village. We stood at its entrance and town square. Shops were spread around in a circle around us with three roads cutting in between, one behind us now. In the middle of the town square stood a tree that overshadowed most of the square and stood above the roofs of the shops. The weirdest thing about it, besides it size was the fact of its colour and textured detail. I could see the veins of the leaves, almost as if the leaves were see through. That and the tree was red, everything was red- the roots that stood out from the broken stone, the trunk, branches, leaves- everything. Because of it there was a red glow cast upon the entire village square. I'd never seen a place like this before. Then again, I was probably going to be seeing a lot of things I wasn't used to while I was here.

"It's really…"

"Quiet?" I offered Al.

Both of them paused for a moment. It was true as there were plenty of people around, some sitting at the tables set outside of their respective cafes, others were browsing through the stands set outside by vendors, there were even children playing near the trees trunk…but there was hardly any noise.

"Well, that's not creepy." I had to agree with Ed on that one, "Might as well find a place to stay while we're here."

"You're looking for a place to stay!?"

I laughed as Ed jumped back a foot, right into Al. "Where the hell did you come from?"

"C'mon, you don't know where babies come from? What's wrong with you?"

Ed poked the brown haired, grey eyed kid in the head. "I know where babies come from! That's not what I meant!"

"You sure?"

"Listen you little-"

"What's your name?" I pushed Ed out of the way.

"Berthold, what's it to you?"

I shrugged. "Figure I'd know the name of the kid who showed us where we could stay."

"I never said I'd show you."

"Fine," I looked away indifferent, "Your loss. I guess I'll just buy dinner for someone else then who'd like-"

"Dinner!?" He grabbed my sleeve. "Come this way ma'am. I'll show you the best place to stay in town. I know the owner so I can probably even get you a discount but that means you'll have to buy me more food and I want fish. Lots of fish, got it?"

"Maybe it seems so quiet because that kid makes up for all the noise." Ed grumbled to his brother. "And Aya had better be the one paying for that kid's dinner."

"She's just probably glad she doesn't have to pay for yours." Al commented to himself.

… … … …

"This is it?" I looked around the inside of the entrance hallway. It wasn't a bad place, I was just still getting used to how things around here were constructed. For some reason everything seemed bigger and rougher, lacking that art or elegance I'd seen in inns back home. Another really weird thing was that nobody took their shoes off here but walked around in them everywhere, even the bedroom, dining area, and bathroom. That had been a hard habit to break and one I'd caught myself doing again.

"Yup, that there's Mr. Cosmos," Berthold pointed to the inn-keeper currently sleeping at the desk, "He runs the place but we don't get many tourists 'round here so he sleeps a lot."

"Ah, I see. Is this the only inn?"

"You got a funny way of talking you know that?"

I looked down at the kid. "Yeah, you're not the first to say that."

I left Ed and Al to check us in (and pay). I was running low on cash as it was.

"So, who are you guys anyway?"

"Weren't you going to get us a discount?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Uhh yeah, about that…"

"How about we forget about it in exchange for something else?"

He gave me suspicious look. "Like what?"

I kneeled down onto the back of my ankles so I was eye level with him. "We're looking for an alchemist that is supposed to be here but we don't know where exactly. Know of any?"

"Hey, Aya we'll be in room five. Meet us up there." I nodded to Ed and Al as they headed upstairs. Then I turned my attention back to Berthold.

"How do I know you don't just want info from me now so you won't buy me dinner?"

I sighed mentally. Gathering information had to be my most hated past time. "I buy you dinner. You tell me then. Okay?"

That made him happy. "Meet me at pub in one hour." And then he was off.

I made my way up the stairs, smiling and waving to the inn-keeper who was nodding off again. There was only one hallway and only five rooms and we happened to be at the very of courtesy I knocked and Al opened the door for me. "Sorry we could only get one room. It would save us some money this way."

"It's okay. It's not the first time I've shared rooms…" I blanched.

I swear that the wallpaper was mutating flowers.

"I 'ad a mame e-action." Ed commented with his head in a pillow on the bed furthest from me. "It permed mai eyes."

I closed my eyes. "Soh." Using my other senses I attempted navigating around the room to my bed where I could place my bag. "I don't know what you said but I probably agree." I felt my knee hit the edge of the bed and dropped my bag on it. "Can't we rip it off or paint over it or something?"

"I don't think so Aya. That would be vandalism."

"Keh, fine." Plopping myself down on the bed with my legs hanging over I stared at the ceiling. "I asked Berthold about any alchemists around here."

Ed found that funny.

Al sat down on the edge of his brother's bed. "What did he say?"

"I have a feeling he knows something but he won't say until I buy him dinner."

"Heh, Aya's got a date." From how clear his voice came out I figured he'd taken a moment to bring his head from his pillow.

I crinkled my nose. "At least I'm trying to get information."

"From a kid."

"Kids are usually the first to know what's going on. Adult's get careless."

"You're a kid too you know." Al said.

"No I'm not!" I sat up now on the edge of the bed and glared.

"Really? How old are you then?"

I crossed my arms and looked away. "That's none of you business."

"It was in the report Mustang gave us. You're thirteen."

I glared at Ed. "Anyways, what's a pub?"

"What do you mean, what's a pub? You're not old enough to drink."

"It's no wonder why neither of you ever found out anything." I grabbed my bag and searched for my towel and other toiletries.

"I think I liked it better when you couldn't speak."

Finding them I made my way to the bathroom and turned the tap on the shower. Running my hands underneath to tell the temperature I stripped and jumped in. It felt nice to take a shower now, especially since it'd been a few days. The train ride had taken two more days and then we had the day to walk.

Working with what little I had in the way of hygiene products I finished quickly, dried off, and dressed into my spare set of clothes- khaki coloured Capri's and a black tank top- since my current clothes and undergarments had to be washed. Rolling all of it into the towel I set it aside and looked into the mirror. I swept some of my bangs from my eyes. I hadn't cut my hair since I got here and was now in desperate need of a trim at least. Only problem was that cost money. I pulled a kunai from my pouch and made a desperate half attempt to at least get the stray pieces away from my eyes. It worked…sort of. Whatever, I tied forehead protector back on and placed my tools in their respective places and my weights back on my arms. Now it just looked like I was wearing really strange bracelets and since my Capri's reached the edge of my sandals you couldn't see the ankle weights. I grabbed my dirty stuff and made my way back into the room.

Not to my surprise the brothers had managed to find something to read. Edward, a menu and Alphonse, the brochure. I threw my dirty clothes and towel to the side of my bed so I could wash them later that night and flopped down on the bed again.

We stayed this way until it was time about ten minutes before we had to meet Berthold. Edward was excited because this meant he got to eat. "I'm not paying for you." I told him as we made our way down the stairs.

"Why not? You're paying for the kid and we're paying for the room."

"One: because we owe the kid and _I'm _paying. Two: because I've been paying for _your_ food for the past three days. Three: because I've been paying for my own train tickets and it's putting a serious dent in my wallet."

"Okay, good reasons." We had made it halfway across the town square.

"I'm not done," I turned around and poked him in the chest, "And also because _you_ can ask for funding mister state alchemist while I can't. I get a paycheck in my name only once every two weeks _and_ I have to pay Mustang back for lending me money for my first couple of weeks out on the job so I don't starve and sleep on the streets every night and because my next paycheck doesn't come for another week and when it does at least half of it is going to Mustang."

"Alright, you've made your point." He backed away and crossed his arms.

"I didn't know you were part of the military Aya."

"Course I am. There's no way a civilian would just be allowed to do this."

"Are you just an enlisted soldier?"

"I'm a Captain." I couldn't help but laugh on the inside. I'd moved up the ranks here so quickly where in Konoha I was still a Genin.

"Reeeaaly?" Ed got a mischievous look in his eyes and began grinning. "Well that means I out-rank you which means you have to do whatever I say. Got it- and I say you're paying for my dinner."

"Brother, that's abusing your power."

"It's not abusing. It's asserting. I'm the ranking officer here."

I quirked a brow. "Kind of sad that you've been part of the military now for two years and yet you're still only a Major isn't it?"

He huffed at that. "I have no intention of becoming more of a military dog than I already am…wait, how'd you move up the ranks so fast and exactly how long have you been a part of the military for?"

"I joined over five months ago- the second I could say I wanted too. I moved up fast because it was the only way to get what I want and because Mustang wouldn't send me out until I did. I have to be of a higher ranking or I'd end up having to follow any officers orders and well…take a guess. That would have been bad."

"You did it out of necessity."

"You sound surprised. I already have my own ranking where I come from. Doing this just makes me feel like I'm- in some twisted way- betraying the very thing I worked so hard for in the first place." I sighed then. "It doesn't make much difference to me as long as Mustang doesn't abuse the fact that I'm his subordinate."

"Don't get your hopes up."

"Wait, Aya. You said you've been in the military for five months now, right?" I nodded at Al's question. "But you said you had to have Mustang fund your first couple of weeks out of Central." Again I nodded. "Where'd all the money you made during your five months go?"

"Yeah, where'd it go?"

"Probably the same place as your money." I pointed to his stomach. "Along with language lessons, housing, and…well information isn't cheap."

"Bribery?" They said in unison.

"Oh, c'mon. I'm not that low. I mean books and… okay, bribery on some occasions but-"

"HEY! HEY! AYA!!!! OVER HERE!!!"

"Yeah, Naruto what is..." I cut my sentence off short when I saw that it was Berthold making his way towards me. I shook my head to clear it. When he'd called me his voice had sounded so much like Naruto's. I slapped my forehead then. I was really loosing it.

"Hey, Aya. You okay?"

I glanced down at him through parted fingers. "Hai, I'm alright Bert-kun. Where's the pub?"

He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Well… about that…"

I could take a hint. "Alright, I saw Ed reading a menu so we should be able to eat- by the way this is Alphonse," I pointed to the tall suited guy, "and this one's Edward."

"Yeah, the tin can and the shorty."

"Hey, watch it." I started before either of them could retaliate. "They're my friends. Don't insult them."

He scratched the back of his head again. "Ah, it was just a joke Aya. C'mon, I'm hungry."

We made our way back to the inn and Al woke up the inn-keeper, telling him we'd be eating in today. The man was overjoyed and ushered us into a well-kept dining room. Before we knew it he'd changed from receptionist/inn-keeper to master chef and was off to get our drinks.

"Well, this place just keeps getting weirder."

We all nodded.

"Down to business Bert-kun. I'm paying for this dinner and from the prices on the menu it ain't gonna be cheap so here's how it's gonna work. I'll be doing your ordering but only one normal portion for bringing us here and then depending on the information you give us I'll order you more or not."

He shrunk in his seat. "You're mean Aya."

The head chef/inn-keeper/receptionist came back with our drinks before taking our orders and as I said I would I ordered Bert-kun's food as well.

"Tell me about this town. The people, the stores, places of distinction. Anything you know."

"We're looking for an alchemist, not a tourist attraction."

I propped my elbow on my table and rested my head against my hand, turning to Ed who I was sitting beside, and giving him my shut-up-before-I-maim you look. Once he quieted down I turned back to Bert-kun. "Go ahead."

"Huh, well," He looked thoughtful, "There's a few interesting people like the crazy cat lady who lives just on the edge of town. She owns twelve cats and it's rumoured she eats mice." Ed snorted. I punched him in the shoulder. "Then there's Mr. Anteo and Ms. Webber who both own the two bakeries in town, they're always in a constant rivalry because everyone says that Anteo had the best bread but Ms. Webber has the best buns." Again Ed snorted. I punched him harder. "Then there's Old Man Deah. He's a weirdo. He owns some religious shop and preaches all around the town square in the morning. For the most part he's just funny to watch though, he has really big glasses and this humongous nose and is halfway bald-"

"C'mon kid. We need something important, not something about a religious fanatic who preaches crap."

"Ed, if you shut up I'll pay for half of your dinner."

"What do I look like, a sucker?"

"I don't know what that is but probably."

"Aya, brother, please can we concentrate?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Ed and I chorused in unison.

"Well, that's pretty much it along the ways of interesting people in town. As for places, well…there's a haunted house where it's rumored that the ghosts of a hundred men live."

"Get real kid, there's no such thing as a haunted house or ghosts."

"I have to agree. I've seen a lot of weird things but never a ghost and besides, why would a hundred dead guys be living together in the first place? Don't you think it would get crowded?"

Bert-kun just grinned in response as our food was placed on the table. I had ordered their Devil's Chicken in hopes for something spicy and as requested Bert-kun got his fish.

"I unno. It's just a rumor."

Ed was giving me an I-told-you-so look.

"Alright, and what can you tell me about any alchemists around here?" It was a long shot but maybe we'd get something.

"Yeah, there's one guy. Old Man Deah; I've seen him use alchemy before…at least I think it was alchemy."

"What'd he do?" I asked.

Bert-kun pointed behind us. "He stopped that tree from dying."

---

"AND THE STARS SHALL FALL FROM THE HEAVENS AND BRING NEW LIGHT TO THIS WORLD! HEAR ME MY FELLOW HUMANS! WE ARE BUT SMALL CREATURES WHO MUST FOLLOW THE WAY OF THE STARS!"

When Bert-kun said morning, he never said six a.m. morning.

"Would that freak of nature just shut up?!" Fed up, Ed threw his pillow at the window, successfully hitting his brother in the back.

"THEY ARE THE WAY! I TELL YOU KNOW THAT THIS PLANET IS NOT MEANT FOR US BUT ONLY THE FAITHFUL MAY LEAVE! WE SHALL FIND A NEW HOME IN THE-"

I walked into the room and went to the bathroom to change into my usual clothes. I'd cleaned them last night in the bathtub and left them to dry overnight.

"OLD MAN, SHUT UP!!" That was Ed. "PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!"

"AH, CHILD! YOU ARE YOUNG, DO YOU ACCEPT THE TRUTH?!"

"THE ONLY TRUTH I'LL EVER ACCEPT IS YOUR STUPIDITY!"

"And equivalent exchange." I added as I left the bathroom.

"Well yeah, but that's a given."

"CHILD! I HAVE-"

Edward shut the window and closed the curtains. It muffled the preachers ramblings a bit.

"Brother, you do realize that we're going to be visiting him today don't you?" Being in a suit of armour _did_ have its advantages as much as they hated to admit it. Al simply never got tired; something that I wish was possible for me.

"I know but it's six in the morning, Al."

"You could have at least made a good first impression."

"Ah, he won't remember me. He's to busy preaching about stars falling and other worlds." Ed lied back down on his bed. "I tell ya, he's living on another planet."

Oh, the cruelty.

"Aya, I don't want to bother you but-"

"I was just out training." I went to the window and peered out at the preacher. I'd come in when he'd started yelling so I never got a good look at him. He was still yelling about falling stars. I couldn't help but laugh again.

"What's so funny?" An irritated Ed is never a fun one.

I shook my head as I still watched the man preach. "I don't think having a star falling will save anybody. If anything it'll just cause problems."

"Stars don't fall."

"I don't know about that but it's just my bet that the power of a star is something people aren't really made to control."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"There's a story about this star, hoshi in my language, which fell from nowhere hundreds of years ago in the Land of Bear. A village was built around the fallen star and the people of the Hidden Village of Star began to use its…uhh life and from it they gained powers that no other village had. It was a great gift I guess, for a while, but then when a new Hoshikage- the leader of the village, literally meaning Star Shadow- came into power and he banned all usage of the star." I closed the curtains again and leaned against the window sill.

"What happened to the village?" Al had taken a seat on my bed.

I had to think about that for a moment. I hadn't gone on that mission but Naruto had told me about it over ramen. "From what I remember the Hoshikage who had originally banned the star's usage was murdered and a new one was put into place. That one began training with the star again…but I think the star's power was dangerous and those who were training with it were getting sick…this is where the details get fuzzy… there was a thief who stole the star but the thief ended up actually being one of the kid's moms. She knew the star was dangerous and wanted to destroy it. I know she died but the star wasn't destroyed. The kids who'd been training with the star started to tell the villagers that it was making them sick. The Hoshikage stuck the star into him," I motioned to where my heart was, "He got really powerful but was defeated and the star was destroyed along with it." Okay, so I'd skipped a few details.

The preacher was still yelling outside. Maybe he really knew something about my world… I shook my head to rid myself of the thought; he was nothing more than a fanatic. The chance that he would know something, anything about my world was impossible.

"It's a nice fairy tale."

"Huh?" I pulled myself away from my thoughts.

"The story about the star," Ed started again, "You know something like that could never really happen. People can't mold themselves with a rock."

I didn't think it was a lie. Naruto had almost fallen from his stool in excitement when he'd told me about the mission. That and Neji, Lee, and TenTen had all been with him as well.

"I don't know, I think it could be real."

He gave me a look of complete disbelief and Al sensing the beginning of an argument stepped in. "How'd you pick up on Amestrian so fast, Aya?"

That was more of a switch in topic than I'd expected. "Lieutenant Colonel Mustang had someone come in to teach me the basics. My lessons lasted three weeks and that's when I joined the military. From there I guess I just picked up more words as I read."

"But you've gotten really good in the past few days."

"Yeah, I unno, everything just sort of came to me." I grinned. "Honestly, I'm not complaining. I hated not being able to communicate properly."

"And you're not curious as to how you all of a sudden know?" Ed asked, still lying on the bed. His head propped up by his arms on his pillows… in his boxers.

"Thing's happen." He scowled. Obviously he wasn't too pleased at my lack of curiosity on the subject. "I found out that Mr. Anteo and Ms. Webber used to be married-"

"Well that's helpful." Ed's sarcasm. How I loved it.

"How about next time _you_ get up and do something useful." I threw a paper bag at him. "I'm just trying to get to know the place and people better and I managed to pick up some food at the bakeries so we wouldn't have to eat our wallets into starvation."

"Well, for your information we did do something useful," He peeked into the bag looking at what I'd bought, "We got that kid to set up a meeting with Old Man Deah."

"You did that last night."

"Yeah, well I still did it didn't I?" Finally he chose a muffin.

"I thought you knew that Eiselstein was here."

"We heard a rumour." This was Ed's idea of payback for dragging him out of Central.

---

"I can't believe we're willingly going to see this freak of nature." Ed sighed and looked in through the glass window. There hanging universe mobiles, posters, and even little action figures of the preacher were placed on display.

Al was looking at a book called _Our Self-Entitled Universe._ "He seems strange."

"More like off his rocker."

"Brother, be nice to him. He's our only lead and an alchemist."

"Yeah, I know but that doesn't mean he's sane."

Alphonse just sighed and opened the door to the shop. Why hadn't Aya come, she was the one who'd seemed the most interested in meeting the man. That and she seemed to have a gift at collecting information.

There was no one in sight in the entire shop. Dust littered everything. It seemed the man had little to absolutely no business what-so-ever. That didn't come as much of a surprise.

"Heey! Old Man Deah, you in here!?" Ed called out. When no reply came he turned on his heel. "Guess not. Let's go."

"CHILDREN OF THE STARS! DO NOT DESERT ONE ANOTHER!"

Ed smacked himself in the face and groaned.

This was going to be a long day.


End file.
